It is known to fit drop forging presses with a so-called automatic lifting beam for the automatic transfer of workpieces within the pressing area where the achievable numbers of lifts could be increased by special arrangements. An essential point in the operation of automated drop-forging presses is an automatic supply of workpieces to the die space of the drop-forging press. it is known to use chain conveyors to effect the transport of the workpiece from a preparation point to the pressing area. Such chain conveyors are connected to corresponding transfer devices. Other work handling devices bridge greater distances at constant speed but the paths are limited by fixed stops. Such known devices operate unsteadily. The depositing of the workpieces in the die space of the press is rough. Functional security, particularly in the event of a short sequence of strokes, is unsatisfactory. This is particularly true for fast running machines in which the workpieces must be made available in approximately 1.5 second stroke.
A further disadvantage of known work handling devices is the convenience that these devices have to be mounted partially below the transport plane of the workpieces. This leads to difficult conditions resulting from increased contaminations and to corresponding wear. Moreover, depending upon the workpiece being forged, the initial material must be able to be deposited in the die space either horizontally or upright. This has required the use of work handling assemblies which are different in structure and function. Thus, the potential universal use of the automatic drop forging press was significantly limited.
Of particular importance in the operation of automated drop-forging presses is a safe supply of heated workpieces in accordance with strokes from a heating unit to a suitable deposit point in the die space of the drop-forging press. The heated workpiece coming from the heating unit is normally made available outside the press in a defined position. It would be useful, for reasons of the sequence of strokes and functional safety, to locate this point as close as possible to the automatic drop-forging press. However, for structural reasons this is substantially impossible because attention must be paid to the space available for dismantling and accessability when arranging the heating unit with respect to the drop-forging press.